Wyeast activator

[MrSaLTy]

I'm going to wyeast activator for the first time and have a few questions.....

How long before pitching do I need to smack it? It also says that i should be at 70-75 degrees but its only 65 degrees in my house is that going to be ok?

thanks

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

I smacked mine and had to wait overnight. A good place for it to sit is on top of your computer monitor or on top of the fridge. It will puff up dramatically.

 

[AHammer16]

I smack mine 2-5 hours before i pitch. never had any probs w/ them.

 

[RichBrewer]

I smack mine the night before I brew. I would think you would be better off starting it earlier than later. I've recently started harvesting yeast from the primary and I used some of this on my last batch and it worked great and started fast. My point is the yest had been dormant for a week before pitching and it started fast. I wouldn't leave your smack pack for a week but if you start it the night before it should work fine.

 

[todd_k]

I smacked mine about 6 hours before I needed it. The bag expanded a lot during those 6 hours, enough to make me think it was going to burst so I put it in a container just it case! I had no problems starting fermentation, it was bubbling just fine the next morning. :rockin:

 

[MrSaLTy]

I actually found some stuff on the net that said give it a day for each month past the manufacture date before pitching.... I looked at the dat on mine and it said it was 2 weeks ago! I smacked it and it was totally puffed up within 2 hrs. I ended up using it within 10 hrs. I am getting decent activity in the fermentor about 10 hrs after pitching and a yeast slick it forming on top of the wort.

This is my first brew and I hope things go well. I have read TONS of stuff before trying and felt I had a pretty good grasp of the whole concept but actually DOING it ended up a lot harder then I would have thought. I'm sure it will get better but the timing of everything was not easy. My OG was low but after thinking about it I realize I forgot to mix the wort after adding all the water in the fermentor and the test I did was probably too watery. Live and learn, I will do better next time. I'm sure it will come out ok. Off to watch the pretty bubbles.